No Rest For the Wicked – Early Thoughts

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Starting off, I’ll admit that Souls like game aren’t usually my cup of tea due to my tendency to get frustrated quickly. While this title isn’t squarely within the Souls-like genre, it draws inspiration from it.

“No Rest for the Wicked” stands out as one of the most visually striking games of the year thus far. Its top-down isometric perspective offers a breathtaking view of the horizon, immersing players deeply in its atmosphere. The cinematics are stunning, reminiscent of the graphical quality seen in series like “Arcane” from League of Legends, featuring meticulously crafted 3D models with hand-painted textures throughout. The narrative is already proving to be captivating. While I’ve been diligently exploring the map and accumulating experience, I’ve yet to make significant progress in the story. Set in the year 841, the king is dead, leaving his successor, his son, who appears less than benevolent toward the populace. Additionally, lurking in the shadows of Isola Sacra, the game’s setting, are various enemies, including the return of the unholy plague known as the Pestilence, corrupting all in its path. Moreover, Madrigal Seline, an ambitious figure within the church, views the Pestilence as an opportunity to prove her worth to her deity. With these forces vying for control, the player and their group are seen as the last hope to resolve the crisis.

Addressing the “Souls-like” aspect mentioned earlier, this title is an action RPG, akin to Diablo or Path of Exile, but with a slower pace. Don’t expect to face swarms of enemies; it’s a more strategic experience, akin to Souls-like games, requiring mastery of enemy patterns and facing consequences for mistakes. The item system is straightforward yet offers depth through various combinations. Each piece of equipment can be enhanced, and specific abilities can be added via runes. Additionally, there’s a rarity system, denoted by different colors for easy identification.

The performance issues are pretty noticeable, and we all know how bad that can be in moments where you need to press buttons in a precise moment with the penalty of receiving fatal damage. Surprisingly enough, It was better before the “Early Access Hotfix 1”. With this last patch (released Saturday day 20 April), the experience of the game sort of changed. The stamina consumption was definitely one of my issues with the game, since without stamina you are out of the combat, you can’t perform any attack of dash to avoid enemy attack. In a way I feel that was part of the charisma of No Rest for the Wicked, a hard game to master but damn fun to explore. While the game retains its inherent challenge, it’s becoming more accessible to players like me who lack experience in Souls-like games, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

I will continue honing my skills and eagerly anticipate the 1.0 patch, which will introduce multiplayer functionality, allowing players to band together in parties to confront the region’s myriad threats.